Improvement in latches



A. WIMMER.

Latch.v

No. 221,261. Patented Nov. 4

F'IG.2.

I la lr i INVENTDR.

WITNEESES.

ALEXANDER WIMMEE', oF sT'. LoUIs,

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO RUSSELL 8U E RWIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN LATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,26l, dated November 4, 1879; application tiled June 28, 1879. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER WIMMEE, of the city and county ot St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Latclies; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, is a full, clear, and exact description thereof'. r

The invention hereinafter described relates to the construction of latches for doors, and to that class known as anti-friction latches,77 wherein a lever, which is pivoted to the bolt and projects beyond the face ot' the latch, is employed to move the bolt inward as the door is closing; and my improvement consists in the novel construction and combination of the projecting lever, the bolt, and the latch-case, as hereinafter explained.

.Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a latch embodying my improvement, with the cap-plate removed, 'and also a view of the under side of said cap-plate. Fig. 2 shows the latch in partial side elevation and partial section on line x ai, and Fig. 3 represents a portion ot' the bolt and the lever in perspective.

A denotes the latch-case, and A the eapplateot' the saine, which is secured in position by a screw.

B denotes the bolt, and C the lever projecting beyond the face of the latch.

As shown in Figs. l and 2, the cap-plate A is supplied with a number of teeth, a, which constitute a portion of a rack-gear; and, as shown at Figs. 2 and 3, the bolt B is provided on one side with teeth b, which form part of a rack-gear.

As shown in all the tigures, the rear portion of the lever C has teeth c, which form a segment of a gear, and the front or salient portion of the lever is of the usual wedge shape.

A spring, as at D, Fig. 1, secures the proper projection ofthe latch-bolt beyond the face of the latch, except when said bolt is retracted by the turning ot' the knob-spindle or by the action of the lever C.

For the purpose of performing its office, this lever C is combined with the bolt and case by placing its toothed segment c in mesh with the rack of b on the bolt, and also in mesh with the rack a on the cap-plate. The lever then assumes a position relatively to the latehj case and bolt, as shown in Fig. 2; and, as shown at Fig. 1, it is laterally confined in a plane between the side of the bolt B and a wall of the mortise in the faceplate, in which plane it vibrates when the door is opening or closing.

The lever opera-tes the bolt in the following manner: As the door is closing the salient face of the lever comes in contact with the striker-plate on the door-jamb, and one of the teeth c, having a fulcrum on the teeth a, the tooth c, which engages the teeth b, retracts the bolt until the door is fully closed, when the spring D projects the bolt into'thc mor tise in the striker-plate.

Vhen the door is being opened the turning of the knob-spindle retracts the bolt into the latch-case, which movement vibrates the lever C to a position to allow the door to be swung, the spring D returning the bolt and lever to their original positions when the knob is released.

Iivoted striking-levers with toothed segments have heretofore been employed in combination with a rack on the latch-bolt. By having the racks on the case and latch-bolt as herein shown, I can employ a non-pivoted striking-lever, which, instead ot rocking upon a fixed axis or pivot, has a variable fulcrum, contributing to greater ease of action and durability.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l The combination, with alatch-case provided with a section of a rack-gear, and a bolt provided with a section of a rack-gear, ot' a le* ver, O, having a salient portion, which pro jects beyond the face of the latch, and a toothed segment, which engages the racks on the case and bolt, respectively, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ALEXANDER WIMMER.

Witnesses: I

Gos. A. WURDEMAN, CHAs. A. LOHM'ANN. 

